2020 brought on a pandemic, an economic recession, social unrest, wildfires, and a contentious US presidential election. Greg A. Adams, Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, has faced all of these challenges in his first year leading the company. What has he learned and what can we all learn from him as we lead through the uncertainty that lies ahead?

We address this question below in an interview with Greg, recorded at the 2020 Oliver Wyman Health Innovation Summit. Here, Sam Glick, Partner, Health and Life Sciences, Oliver Wyman, chats with Greg about how Kaiser Permanente's strategic plan shifted amidst the pandemic and what new opportunities for the organization have emerged in time. Below, Greg explores how to innovate and drive organizational transformation from the top down.

Watch the Conversation from the Health Innovation Summit

Memorable Moments

• Greg on how his organization responded to COVID-19: There’s something about the pandemic that unfroze the organization. It created an opportunity to be somewhat humble regarding our strategic plan.

• Greg on what makes an effective leader: Leadership is about innovation and creation in an organization. The role of a leader is to be a catalyst for change, to have a vision, be clear on how to achieve that vision, and plan on where we are now and where we need to go next.

• Greg on how to transform an organization: An entire organization can't be changed overnight. We must create new models, new approaches, and support people in new roles so we can respond to the market faster.